iheartREALbooks

I am a lover of books. I love reading but I might love the actual books just as much as the stories they contain. I love picking out books, their covers, the way they smell. I love the way the different weights of paper feel as you turn the pages. I love having a great book on my shelf for a lifetime not so that I can reread it but so that occasionally I can run my finger along the spine and remember the story and how great it was.

Knowing this, you might understand then that I do not like digital books, eReaders, whatever you might call them. I'm glad that these devices might make people more prone to reading but for me, I feel like they disconnect you with the book in some way. And, though I love my iPhone as much as the next person and I am clearly writing a DIGITAL blog, I'm generally against the entirely digital era that we live in now. I hate that kids only want to play video games or watch movies on their parents iPads. But, let's not get in to the things I hate about the way kids are raised these days...I could go on for hours. The point is: I hate that so many things are no longer tangible items but instead just computer data that can easily be erased.

I started noticing a trend this year that simultaneously makes me very sad and very happy. Books seem to be getting a new image this holiday season. That image is that they are collectible items - finely crafted and meant to be held on to for a lifetime. I know there have always been books like this but I am seeing them everywhere this year...even Costco! Dozens of classic titles are being reintroduced to the market with beautiful covers fit for a true collector. From cloth bound to embroidered these things are gorgeous and I want every single one of them. Look:

Embroidered Penguin Classics

Canvas Covered Classics

I can't find a link for the ones I saw at Costco but here is a picture I snapped.

I've always loved the old hard bound classics you can sometimes find at used book stores so I'm basically a kid in a candy shop with these new versions!

So, that obviously makes me happy. What makes me sad is that I'm afraid this new image books are being given is a sign that they are dying. The more people use their totally fab eReaders the less they read those completely lame paper books. I can see it already...it'll be just like vinyl records and photographs taken with actual film. Some people will cling to the old idea (me) and others will completely move on.

Not everyone has the same sentimental attachment to this form of media that I do...I get it. Max is a vinyl collector through and through and though I definitely love and appreciate them I am not emotionally attached to the idea of them like I think he is. But, we understand each others feelings here. Vinyl records and printed books are a labor of love to create. It takes a craftsman to make these things (well OK maybe I'm being dramatic I know books are mass produced but go with me here).

You need less and less skill these days to do things like write and release books, record and release music and even to take a good photograph. Some might argue this is good because the barrier to entry for new "artists" is not as great. We have more books to read because writers can finally afford to release their work. That might be true. Or, it might be true that we have more white noise that we have to sort through to find something truly great.

Definitely something to chew on...for me at least. In the meantime I sure hope Santa is reading this and fills my bookshelf with these beauties. I will love them forever and ever and I will share them with my children...I promise.

Don't call it a chore chart

One of my favorite jokes that Max likes to tell about me is that if I were ever lost he could find me by following the trail of candy/food/trash wrappers. I have to admit that yes, I am THAT person. I can't seem to make it to the trash can to throw things away. I eat a Babybel cheese in the kitchen and leave the wax wrapper on the counter. I chew a piece of gum and leave the wrapper on the coffee table. The door of my car is full of little pieces of trash.

I'm working on fixing this issue but it's been with me since I was a kid. I remember my step mom cleaning my bedroom and finding candy wrappers behind the headboard of my bed. The trashcan was within 3 steps of the bed but I just couldn't quite make it there. Call me messy, call me absent minded but I think it's just pure laziness. I find myself thinking that if I actually walked across the house to throw something out that would just be too much effort. It's an awful way to live and I'm determined to make some changes.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a good chunk of time listing out everything that needs to be cleaned in our house and making a sort of schedule for when things should be cleaned. My goal is that we will stop letting the dust bunnies build up before finally breaking down and cleaning because we just can't stand the dirt anymore and start keeping the house in order all the time. What a novel concept! A little sweeping here, a bit of dusting there and voila! we never waste another weekend day cleaning the entire house. So far it's going pretty well and it's making a noticeable difference on my mental state at home. I love waking up to a clean kitchen. In the past we left the dishes, went to bed and I washed them in the morning. This is a muchmuchmuch better way to start the day. I have also been attempting to tidy up and put away at the end of each night. Ashley, don't throw your jeans on the floor when it only takes a few seconds to fold them and put them on that shelf!

In addition to attempting to keep things clean and orderly I've been adding small touches to the house to cozy it up. I'm convinced that I can buy just a few small things that will bring many moments of joy to my daily life. For instance, a container for the dog food instead of a 40 lb. open bag sitting on the floor for all to see. It's the little things, people!

I was recently telling someone about all of this and they told me that I'm nesting. I'm not entirely sure about that but I do think that I am growing up. Weird to say as I approach my 29th birthday but I think I am finally starting to feel like a REAL grown up. I feel that desire to take care of my things and maybe even make the bed from time to time. I've spent quite a bit of time in my life saying that "when I grow up" I want to be like this or that...own these type of things...live in this type of house. I'm finally starting to see that a) I'm a grown ass woman and b) I can be or do or see whatever I want. If I want to be the type of person that has a tidy house that people envy then I just need to DO it. Stop talking and start acting!

Italian day dreams and hot air balloon rides

Max recently pointed out to me in jest that he has a list a million things long already of little wishes that he needs to fulfill before I die. I had never thought about this before but I do tell him a lot about things that I MUST do in my life. I might even hold him responsible for making sure I accomplish these things before my time here is up. Some things are small and more like goals. I must have children that like to eat everything, I must own a horse someday, I must have a place out in the country. The remainder of the list is mostly travel related. I MUST go to India, explore Europe, eat every bit of food in Southeast Asia, stand amongst the white buildings of the Greek Islands looking at that blue sea and I MUST see every last bit of Italy.

I think that my obsession with Italy began back in high school when I was Queen of the Latin Honor Society. OK, maybe there wasn't a Queen but I excelled in Latin throughout school and took 5 years of it. I can hardly remember a lick of it now but I stand firm that it was a useful 5 years of my life. We studied ancient Roman civilization quite a bit and I completely adored it. I loved the epic stories that we translated and learning about Pompei. I've wanted to visit ever since.

My urgency to visit has been at rest for a while now since I know we just don't have the funding. However, over the past couple of weeks one of my favorite wedding blogs has been focusing on Italy and my day dreams have started again. First of all - 100 Layer Cake goes on honeymoon to Italy. They've posted a lot of pictures during this trip but these from the Amalfi Coast just killed me. After these images they got me with another post that was oh so dreamy. A Capri, Italy elopement. The word Italy combined with the word elopement is just a dream to me. Granted, I'm married now so that ship has sailed but the video on this post is to die for. The couple says some cheesy stuff but their two person ceremony on that cliff is something else.

I desperately wanted to go to Italy on our honeymoon but we couldn't quite commit to the cost of the trip. I told Max we should wait and try to go for our 1st anniversary but again...I wonder if the funding will appear. I REALLY hope it does because these pictures and video make me feel like it really would be a dream come true. Honey, add this to my wish list that you are attempting to fulfill during my life. I'd put it in the top 5, right above the hot air balloon ride.

Speaking of hot air balloons...I'm obsessed. For a long time I've wanted to go to a hot air balloon festival such as this one in Albuquerque. Oh look, they've posted the dates for next year already. How convenient... Anyway, like I was saying I'm obsessed with hot air balloons. I have no idea why. I've hardly seen any in my life but there is something about them that is very whimsical and magical. I love the way they look floating through the air...the way they glow at night...the bright pops of color. I actually put together a board on Pinterest of what could possibly be the cutest wedding in the world. Now, I just need to find a couple that wants a hot air balloon theme and I'll be set!

Max...I either amo, amas or amat you for keeping track of my day dreams. (OK people it's amo since "-o" is the singular first person but whatever). So Max: Te amo, protectoris somniorum meorum. Hopefully that's at least a little bit correct and in keeping with how it might appear in an epic Latin verse. I love you, protector of my dreams.

Houses, babies, etc.

Happy 1st day of November! This is by far my favorite month of the year...it being both the month I was born and the month of my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! The cold air has finally started to descend upon Austin and I'm already wearing fall clothes despite the fact that the high yesterday and today was in the 80's. I'm just so ready for it to be cold! I can't wait to light a fire in our house and start relying on my slow cooker to do my work for me. :)

3 weeks from today I will turn 29 which seems like a very ho-hum kind of birthday. Nothing too special really. I'm definitely no longer young but without hitting the 30 mark I wouldn't say I'm old yet either (unlike my old man Max who is already 31). I'm looking forward to it though entirely because I took the day off from work to have a spa day all to myself. Ooo lala, I know. I can't wait!

I already mentioned my obsession with reading wedding blogs but I've also recently become totally enchanted with DIY home blogs. I love reading one in particular, Young House Love. This particular couple is about the same age as Max and me but they already own their second home and have a baby. Now, I'm still not ready for the baby part but I'm pining after a home of our own. Maybe the nesting instinct after the wedding and before baby is taking a hold of me? Whatever it is, I read these articles about how to make a shelf or paint a room and just droooooooool. I wanna do that!!!! And, with the help of these blogs (and the always wonderful HGTV) I know that I CAN do it.

Max and I are on the fast and furious savings plan to attempt to get ourselves in a spot where we can buy a house. Step 1: Crawl out of debt. Check, pretty much done. Step 2: Stop spending, save more. Yikes, this one is hard! Step 3: Go for it. We're going to wait a few more months I think but I hope that when the spring rolls around you'll find us house hunting and fixing up a place of our own.

If you're curious what our future home might look like, I've been adding to my Pinterest Home Decor board quite a bit lately. I think it will pretty much be the most fab place you've ever been! I doubt we'll be able to get our dream house but we'll try to get close. :)

on still being 15 at heart...

I spent a good hunk of time last night texting with my 14 year old niece, Sarah. We are just SO excited about going to see Taylor Swift tomorrow night and had to chat about it. IDK LOL ROTFL. I don't think that combo make sense but isn't that what makes us older folks charming? ;)

In honor of the show tomorrow night I WILL be listening to nothing but Taylor Swift for the next 24-48 hours. I'll put my headphones on, don't worry.

I have never tried to deny the fact that I LOVE Taylor Swift. Have a problem with that? Well, get your head out of you know where and move on with your life! I'm sure there are more important things for you to hate on. She's a nice girl singing perfectly nice songs about young love and teen angst and other topics that any girl of speaking/thinking age can "like totally relate to." And honestly, I bet that most women even in their silver haired days can still remember when they related to it as well. Also, I fully support the fact that she is not a) addicted to some sort of drugs b) running around town partying and ending up in tabloids or c) pregnant at a too young age.

So yes, for Sarah's 14th birthday I purchased us a nice set of seats to the show tomorrow. It just worked out that it is both a present for her and a total treat for me.

It's funny actually...my sister Kelly is 41 now and her daughter, Sarah, is 14. I'm a month away from being 29. I'm pretty much right between them in age and can completely identify with both of their positions in life. Deep down I still feel like I'm 15. I'm a sophomore in high school: awkward, introverted, lacking self esteem and in love with a boy that I met in the courtyard one day. I so vividly remember those feelings that sometimes I forget that I'm not that person now.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how I wish I had savored those days more...I wish I was actively appreciating them at the time. Instead, you spend your younger days wishing you could grow up. When you're in high school you just want to leave home and go to college. In college you want your own apartment and a real job. Once I settled in to having those things I quickly realized how nice life was before reality took hold of my life. There are things that I look forward to now too, obviously. Buying a house, having kids, taking trips around the world. I'm by no means saying that I don't want my life right now. But, I wish that when I was in high school and college I knew that those were going to be the most carefree days of my life. Instead, I spent my time pining away for worthless guys, worrying about who liked me and who didn't and griping at my roommates to go to sleep and keep the noise down. Lame.

C'est la vie I suppose.

I will say that this perspective makes me very adamant about telling other youngins' to savor the moment. How lame that I'm THAT older person that tells the kids that this is the best time of their lives, stop whining and enjoy it? Owell.

It also makes me very cognisant of finding a way to enjoy and appreciate the days that I have now. So, I will be enjoying my night tomorrow night by partaking in a Taylor Swift concert. I will be surrounded by girls of all ages and WE will all be singing the lyrics to every single song at the top of our lungs the entire night.

Watch this video, the show is going to be AMAZING.

Time Management

With the summer officially coming to a close I've finally been faced with the reality of day to day life. I spent too much time traveling this summer (though, I've got nothing on some of the schedules my coworkers kept) and I feel like the past few months are a bit of a blur. Add to that the fact that we were planning for our wedding before the spring hit and I would say the entire last YEAR is a total blur.

For the past month or so since we wrapped up ACL I've been focusing on how to get my life back in order and on track. What I've decided is that there is just not enough time in the day to do everything that you are required to do (work), everything you should do (cook dinner) and everything you actually want to do (relax? read a book?). I'm not sure how people fit it all in to be honest.

The unfortunate part of this predicament is it seems that the first thing I leave out of my day is doing something that I want to do. This week I printed up a cute to do list type thing for each day of the week and actually put an item on each day that was unrelated to the typical go to the grocery store type stuff. Guess what? I didn't do any of it. Last night I was meant to set aside 30 minutes of craftiness time. Didn't get to it...I fell asleep. What did I get to? Basically just the bare minimum. Sad times.

Let's talk this out because honestly, I don't see how anyone does all of what they need to do.
So...here's my life through the end of the year:
Things I have to do:
8am-6pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 2pm-6pm Wednesdays I work. 40 hours right there.
9am-2pm Wednesdays I do the internship - 5 hours
Saturdays I will usually either be volunteering at the farmer's market or working an event for the internship - could be 2-6 hours right there (maybe I shouldn't think of the market as something I must do but I did make a commitment. maybe I should think of the internship as something I want to do but I also think it's a must do at this point in my life)
All that adds up to between 47-51 hours of work per week that I am required to do.

So now, things that I should do: feed myself and Max in a healthy way while not spending too much money (grocery shopping, constant cooking), keep the house clean, keep the dogs fed/medicated/exercised and away from my shoes/quilts, exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, remember to pay my bills and save money, brush/floss my teeth, take daily multivitamins, keep in touch with family & friends, drink lots of water...I mean this is crazy the list just goes on an on. Just think of all the things you read about on a daily basis that "suggest" you do x, y or z to stay healthy and happy. Think of how many things you don't do that you know that you should. I'd love to say just one or two are my biggest pitfalls but I honestly think over 50% of that list goes undone on any given day of the week. And all of this while I should be getting "enough" sleep.

If I ever get through the list of things that I should do, I have a list a million miles long of things that I want to do. I want to read more, I want to listen to more music, I want to go on hikes on the weekend and eat picnics in the park on beautiful days. I want to make crafts that I read about from Martha Stewart. I want to go to the movies and have dinner with friends. I want to successfully not kill the basil plant I'm growing in the backyard. I want to blog, I want to read blogs and get great ideas. I want a new career but boy oh boy that gets lumped back up in the must do list. I want unlimited blocks of time to stroll around a neighborhood with my headphones on and think like I used to do in New York. But, when was the last time that I had no obligations at all? OK, maybe it was last Sunday when we didn't leave the house at all but I've just been so TIRED lately that I needed that day to rest.

I recently read the book, The Happiness Project. Full disclosure - I am a sucker for self help and self improvement books. I read today that Benjamin Franklin once said, "I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined, but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish." That pretty much summarizes the reason that I love these books. I'm an over thinker, over analyzer and too hyper aware of every move that I make. I can usually work things out on my own but it's so refreshing to read a new perspective on how to be a better person. That is what this book was all about and it totally spoke to me. I have a wonderful life. I have a decent, well paying job, great friends, a wonderful family, a roof over my head, two of the cutest dogs in the world and a completely amazing husband that adores me. And yet, I don't think I enjoy every day as much as I could. I spend too much time worrying about the must and should do items in my life and don't make time for what I want to do...which ultimately are things that I NEED to do to maintain sanity and true happiness.

So, I guess I will just have to try harder to accomplish everything on my to do list...including the items I might consider to be superfluous. Maybe I won't spend this Sunday napping on the couch...and maybe what I do instead will provide me with more of a feeling of rest than actually sleeping would? I can only hope...since I know that with the addition of owning a home and having kids will only come more to do items and less time/money and energy to do everything on the list.

For now, I'll leave you with what I think is the article of the week (because I won't lie, I know very little about Muammar Gaddafi). I think this is something we all dream of when we get married...even if it is totally cheesy. Long-Married couple Gordon and Norma Yeager pass away holding hands.

-Ashley

oh, and also...

I should update you on some things I have been working on or gawking at recently.

The Simplifiers: I started an apprenticeship with this amazing event planning company here in Austin called The Simplifiers. I'm not exactly sure what might come of it but I was looking for a change and so far it's doing a great job providing that!

Etsy: Most all of us know and love it. I started a shop after the wedding in hopes of having an excuse to continue making pretty things. I've only sold 1 hair flower so far to a bride but I have faith that when I put more time in, more love will come out. Check out my shop: My Darling Clementine's

Pinterest: Do you know it? Do you love it? I do! I used to love cutting out pictures and letters from magazines as a kid and creating collages galore. Well, with Pintrest, cutting and gluing has gone digital!

Our wedding: I most definitely loved it and spent a lot of time creating it. I was super happy to see that other people appreciated it as well.

We loved our wedding photographer...you would too: Sarah McKenzie's wedding blog

We were featured on Wedding Chicks, now one of my favorite daily blog reads.

A few other sites ended up with pieces from our wedding as well!
My button boutonnieres (2 pics down, 3 over)

Our wedding invitations ended up here and here (#2)

I'm not sure life gets much better than it is right now. I might not be in the exact spot I want to be right now across the board but I have faith that the strong base I have built will get me there very soon.

<3 Ashley